John 11:26

Translations

King James Version (KJV)

And whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Believe you this?

American King James Version (AKJV)

And whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Believe you this?

American Standard Version (ASV)

and whosoever liveth and believeth on me shall never die. Believest thou this?

Basic English Translation (BBE)

And no one who is living and has faith in me will ever see death. Is this your faith?

Webster's Revision

And whoever liveth, and believeth in me, shall never die. Believest thou this?

World English Bible

Whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

English Revised Version (ERV)

and whosoever liveth and believeth on me shall never die. Believest thou this?

Clarke's John 11:26 Bible Commentary

Shall never die - Or, Shall not die for ever. Though he die a temporal death. he shall not continue under its power for ever; but shall have a resurrection to life eternal.

Believest thou this? - God has determined to work in the behalf of men only in proportion to their faith in him: it was necessary, therefore, that these persons should be well instructed concerning his nature, that they might find no obstacles to their faith. These sisters had considered him only as a prophet hitherto; and it was necessary that they should now be farther instructed, that, as God was to exert himself, they might believe that God was there.

Barnes's John 11:26 Bible Commentary

Whosoever liveth - He had just spoken of the prospects of the pious dead. He now says that the same prospects are before the living who have like faith. Greek, "Every one living and believing on me."

Shall never die - As the dead, though dead, shall yet live, so the living shall have the same kind of life. They shall never come into eternal death. See John 6:50-51, John 6:54, John 6:58. Greek, "Shall by no means die forever."

Believest thou this? - This question was doubtless asked because it implied that he was then able to raise up Lazarus, and because it was a proper time for her to test her own faith. The time of affliction is a favorable period to try ourselves to ascertain whether we have faith. If we still have confidence in God, if we look to him for comfort in such seasons, it is good evidence that we are his friends. He that loves God when he takes away his comforts, has the best evidence possible of true attachment to him.